Whether you are trying to include more vegetarian and vegan meals in your diet for health reasons or to save on the weekly food bills, adding some vegetarian slow cooker recipes into your meal rotation is an excellent way to make sure your veggie meals are easy to prepare.
The slow cooker makes it really convenient to prepare your food ahead of time and set it cooking while you are out at work. Just come home to a meal which is ready to eat!
I’ve rounded up 20 of my favourite vegetarian and vegan slow cooker meals here.
Some of the dishes are vegan already and for all of those that are vegetarian I’ve added notes on what you’d need to switch to veganise the dish.
This would tend to involve using a vegan alternative to butter, milk and cheese, which are easy to find in the supermarket nowadays.
Or you can also make your own vegan cheese at home if you prefer using cashew nuts or similar.
So I hope this will be a great source of vegan and vegetarian slow cooker recipe inspiration whether you are taking your first steps into vegetarianism or are a long term vegan.
Vegetarian slow cooker stews
A one pot vegetarian slow cooker dish with plenty of beans, lentils and vegetables makes a satisfying meal and is great in the colder months. Serve these with bread to dip into the sauce!
Make it vegan: this dish is already vegan.
Make it vegan: use a vegan bouillon powder.
Make it vegan: use a vegan bouillon powder and ensure your gnocchi are vegan (you can get free-from gnocchi).
Make it vegan: use a vegan bouillon powder and use a vegan alternative to sour cream to serve (coconut milk plus lemon juice is a possible option).
Vegetarian slow cooker curries
Get those store-cupboard spices in use and serve these veggie curries with rice and naan breads! You can get free-from naan breads which are also suitable for vegans in the supermarket.
Make it vegan: this dish is already vegan.
Make it vegan: this dish is already vegan.
Make it vegan: use cubes of tofu in place of the paneer cheese.
Make it vegan: switch the soy sauce for tamari gluten free soy sauce if you prefer not to use normal soy sauce.
Light veggie meals
These light vegetarian dishes from soup to a roasted cauliflower via veggie croquettes and falafel are all dishes you might not have realised you can make in a slow cooker.
But making them in a slow cooker is a great way to gain on time and get ahead!
Make it vegan: make sure your vegetable stock cubes are vegan.
Make it vegan: use your preferred plant milk in place of the egg when breading the croquettes.
Make it vegan: this dish is already vegan.
Make it vegan: tricky with this one, I would recommend trying a vegan frittata recipe instead
Make it vegan: make sure your vegetable stock cubes are vegan and replace the halloumi with tofu.
Make it vegan: this dish is already vegan, serve with your preferred plant-based yoghurt alternative.
Bread-based options
Yes you can bake bread recipes like focaccia and cornbread in your slow cooker!
These are a good lunch option when topped with plenty of vegetables and cheese, vegan if needed!
Make it vegan: swap the feta for vegan feta made with cashews and tofu or use your preferred vegan alternative from the supermarket.
Make it vegan: tricky for this recipe, I would recommend using a tried and tested vegan cornbread recipe instead and adding in vegetables
Layered veggie bakes
Veggie lasagne and veggie bakes make a good main meal option, and these work well in a crockpot too.
Make it vegan: switch the ricotta for silken tofu and the cheddar cheese for your preferred plant-based alternative.
Make it vegan: swap the halloumi for your preferred firm vegan cheese alternative.
Make it vegan: switch to vegan mozzarella.
Let me know which of these vegetarian or vegan slow cooker recipes you are going to try first! I hope these simple and convenient slow cooker meals are going to help you in 2020.
For dessert, why not try one of my slow cooker desserts!
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All That I'm Eating says
There are some great ideas here, I particularly like the sound of that cornbread!
bakingqueen74 says
thanks, I am so glad you found it useful! 🙂
Choclette says
Now I’ve seen all these scrummy recipes I feel I absolutely MUST dig out my slow cooker from the back of the cupboard. I know I keep saying it, but wow, I really want to try some of these.
bakingqueen74 says
Excellent stuff! I like to encourage slow cooker use! 🙂